Big budget films depend on audience for success

CNN
July 25, 1995

What began as a low budget, aquatic version of
"Mad Max" evolved into the most expensive movie ever made.
Welcome to "Waterworld."

With a budget reportedly at $172 million dollars, stories
about the movie's cost threaten to overshadow the film and
its star. Kevin Costner admits, "It was an expensive movie -
- maybe embarrassingly so to some people. But the studio who
has made 100 movies understood what was happening. Not that
they were alarmed by it, but knew the movie they were making.
If they are comfortable in the fact that they had to do what
they had to do, then most people should leave it alone."

But MCA's "Waterworld" isn't the first to sail into rough
financial water. Many others have charted the same course,
with varying degrees of success. "Gone With the Wind" cost
MGM $4 million to make back in 1939.

"Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton came
in at $44 million in 1963. If it were made today, it would
cost an estimated $213 million, leaving "Waterworld" in its
wake. And in 1978, "Superman" soared with a $55 million
budget.

Others haven't done as well. "Heaven's Gate" and "Ishtar"
have become synonymous with big budget movie flops. And now,
some in Hollywood are calling "Waterworld" "Fishtar" and
"Kevin's Gate."

Costner argues that the criticism is unfounded and premature.
"I mean if I spent that money and didn't have a movie, there
should be some questions. The question is, can this movie
return its investment? I believe it can."

Corie Brown of Premiere Magazine isn't so sure. "There is no
confidence that this will make a profit or even break even.
They only hope it won't bleed them to death."

A logistical nightmare, the movie was shot almost entirely
on
the water. The set's manmade floating islands and
production
schedule were at the mercy of the elements. Writer/director
Steven de Souza knows how difficult that can be. "As soon as
you go into nature you're getting into a union conflict with
God. That's his department."

In fact, Arnold Kopelson, the producer of "Outbreak" and the
$400 million hit, "The Fugitive," decided against making a
film set on a North Atlantic oil rig. Kopelson explained, "I
said it read great, but then I have to go out there, and risk
my life, the lives of the crew and cast to make this
movie...and you can't control your scheduling."

Now everything is completely out of Costner's control, and up
to the audience to decide if it was money well spent. As
Brown put it: "This is a fun picture, but for that much
money it had better be pretty darn fun."